Flip cone for continuous high speed unwinding wire



y 3 1967 c. v. MAGUlRE 3,321,151

FLIP CONE FOR CONTINUOUS HIGH SPEED UNWINDING WIRE Filed Sept. 15, 1965 INVENTOR CHARLES V. MAGUIRE mmm'u mm mm ATTORNEYS."

United States Patent 3,321,151 FLIP CONE FOR CUNTINUOUS HIGH SPEED UNWINDING WIRE Charles V. Maguire, Tampa, Fla., assignor to General Cable Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 487,507

13 Claims. (Cl. 242-128) This invention relates to methods and apparatus for the continuous unwinding of wires.

For many manufacturing processes it is desirable to supply strands of wire continuously in lengths greater than can be wound on one spool. One method and apparatus for obtaining this result is disclosed in the Gazet US. Patent No. 3,005,601. In that patent the end of the wire on one spool is shown connected with the beginning of the wire on a second spool in such a way that upon the exhaustion of the wire on the first spool, the supply can be taken from the second spool without interruption It is an object of this invention to provide improved method and apparatus for unwinding a continuous supply of wire from successive spools without interruption; and the improvemenuts of this invention make possible the unwinding of wire at much higher speeds without damage to the wire or its insulation.

More specificobjects of the invention are to guide the loop of wire in a way to prevent it from being thrown against the interconnecting portion of the housings in which the different spools are located; and to guide the loop of unwinding Wire more effectively by the walls of the spool housings and by confining means at the discharge ends of the housings.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

Inthe drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of apparatus for supplying a continuous length of wire, in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional view, taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a greatly enlarged detail view showing a portion of the construction illustrated in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail view showing the entrance to the slot between the housings and the adjacent structure.

The apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 includes a housing 10 which has a truncated conical portion 12 and a cylindrical portion 14 extending from the large end of the conical portion 12. The housing is preferably of integral construction and made of metal. It is supported at its opposite ends from fixed supports 16 and 17 (FIGURE 3), which preferably extend to the floor or some other suitable base below the housing.

There is a slot 20 through the side wall of the housing 10 throughout the full length of the housing. This slot is of a height only slightly greater than the diameter of the wirev with which the apparatus is intended to be used. The height of the slot is preferably a minimum compatible with free passage of the Wire through the slot 20. The slot 20 has a flaring entrance end 22 which is of a height several times as great as the height of the rest of the slot and the edges of the entrance end 22 are curved to merge with the other edges of the slot without any abrupt change in direction.

A spool 25, wrapped with wire 27, is supported in the housing 10 on a cantilever beam 30 extending from a carriage 32 which is movable along a track or floor 34 for removing the spool 25 when the spool becomes ei npty; and for replacing the spool with a full one.

There is another housing 10' which is similar to the housing 10 in all respects except that its slot is on the opposite sideso that the two housings, 10 and 10', have their interiors communicating with one another directly through the slot 20. Elements associated with the housing 10' have the same reference charcters as the corresponding elements associated with the housing 10, but with a prime appended. In the preferred construction, the housings It) and 10' are connected together throughout their entire length by a connecting section 36 which forms top and bottom walls of the slot 20, but the housings can be used without the connecting section 36. This connecting section has the advantage of providing increased area of guiding surface for wire which moves along the slot in a manner which will be explained later. l

The longitudinal axes of the housings 10 and 1t) intersect at a point 40 and the wire supplied from spools in either of the housings passes the point 40:. Thus the point 4-0 is at the location which would be the apex of each of the conical portions 12 and 12 if these conical of the housings were not truncated.

The diameters of the larger ends of the conical portions 12 and 12', and of the cylindrical portions 14 and 14, are related to the overall diameter of the spools 25 and 2-5. In the preferred construction, the spool, when in working position, is located with one third of its width in the conical portion 12 or 12', and two thirds of its width in the cylindrical portion 14 or 14'. inside diameter of the conical portion 12 (FIGURE 4) in the plane of the inner flange of the spool 25, is only slightly greater than the outside diameter of a flange 42. of the spool 25. This difference in diameter is slightly greater than the diameter of the wire 27 so that the sloping wall of the conical portion 12 acts as a guide for the wire 27, and the fairly steep angle of the wall of the cone throws the loop of wire back clear of the edge of the flange, thus eliminating drag of the wire over the flange. In addition, the radius of rotation of the wire is reduced, to a minimum and consequently the force of impact betwecn the wire and the wall of the housing is reduced. This is shown clearly in FIGURE 4 where the loop of, Wire unwinding from the spool 25 is indicated by the reference character 44. It is, however, necessary to have the rearward portion of the housing 12cylindricalso that there will be no throwback of the loop 44 at the back end of the casing which would move the loop beyond the end of the casing.

FIGURE 2 shows a sectional view through the top and bottom of the slot 20. In the housing 10 the slot 20 has a top edge 50 which is spaced from the axis of the housing 10 by a radial distance greater than the radial distance of a lower edge 52 of the slot 20. Because of the direction in which the wire is wrapped on the spool in the housing 10, the loop of wire unwinding from the spool travels in the direction indicated by the arrow 54. Thus it comes to the bottom edge 52 of the slot 20 first and because of the radial offset of the top edge 50, there is no danger of the wire loop striking the top edge 50, though the loop if wire does move outwardly somewhat farther on into contact with the wall of the housing 10, which acts as a guide, as already explained. The height of the slot 20 being very small, however, the inertia of the wire loop is sufficient to prevent it from movingradi ally far enough .to contact the top edge 50 before it has passed the top edge.

In the housing 10, the wire is wrapped on the spool in the same direction as in the housing 10, but sirice the portions When in this position, the

slot 20 is on the opposite side of the housing the loop of wire in this housing 10 travels in the direction of the arrow 54', as it travels past the entrance to the slot from the housing 10'. The slot 20, therefore, has its top edge 50' at a lesser radial distance from the axis of the housing 10', than is the bottom edge 52' of the slot 20. The wire loop, when unwinding from the spool in the housing 10', though moving downwardly instead of upwardly past the slot 20, does not strike the far edge 52' of the slot because of this radial offset for the same reasons as already explained in connection with the housing 10.

At the smaller end of the housing 10, the wall of the housing has an outward flare 58 so as to provide a smooth, rounded surface over which the loop of wire passes from the housing. There are guide means beyond the flaring outlet in the form of a number of concentric rings 60 which are of progressively smaller diameter, commensurate with the angle of taper of the conical portion 12 of the housing. These rings 60 are axially spaced along a common support 62 to which the rings are rigidly connected. The support 62 is connected at one end to a post 64, located in a bearing 66, on which the post is free to rotate about an axis 68 which passes through the apex point 40. The post 64 has a spring 65 connected with it for damping oscillation of the rings resulting from wire rotation.

The rings 60 and support 62 move the post 64 angularly on its axis to shift the rings 60' into aligment with whichever one of the housings the wire supplied from at any given instant.

In the drawing, thewire 27 is shown unwrapping from the spool and the inner end of the wire 27, indicated by the reference character 70 in FIGURE 1, is connected with an outer end 72 of the wire on the spool 25' in the housing 10.

The spool 25 also has an inner end 74 exposed and in position to connect with the outer end of another spool which is inserted into the housing 10 after the wire has all been withdrawn from the spool 25. By replacing exhausted spool and connecting the outer end of each new spool with the inner end of the'wire of the spool currently supplying wire, the supply of wire from the apparatus can be made continuous indefinitely.

FIGURE 6 shows the flaring entrance end 22 of the slot 20 and also shows the ends of the cylindrical portions 14 and 14' of the housings 10 and 10', respectively. In the construction illustrated, this flaring entrance end has a radius for approximately three inches of the length of the slot and the large end of the flaring entrance is about three inches across, this being several times greater than the height of the slot, as is apparent from the drawing.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made, and some features can be used in different combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Wire supply apparatus including two housings, each of which holds a different spool of wire with the inner end of the wire of one spool connected with the outer end of the wire of the other spool, each of the housings being a truncated cone for a portion of the length of the housing and extending beyond the larger end of the conical portion to form a cylindrical portion of the housing, a spool located in each housing with a part of the width of the spool located within .the truncated conical portion whereby the loop of wire unwrapping from the spool contacts with the conical surface of the housing and the acute angle of that surface throws the loop back in a curved path that causes the wire to clear the flange at the end of the spool toward which the wire moves as it unwraps, and a greater part of the width of the spool located within the cylindrical portion of its housing,

portable supporting means for holding spools in said position in each housing, and a slot through which the interior of the housings, connect with one another throughout the length of the housings.

2. The wire supply apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by the supporting means for the spools holding each spool with approximately one third of the width of the spool in the conical portion of the housing and approximately two thirds of the width of the spool in the cylindrical portion of the housing.

3. The wire supply apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by the conical portion of each housing being three times as long as the cylindrical portion.

4. lhe wire supply apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by the axes of the conical portions of the two housings intersecting at a point beyond the ends of the housings corresponding to what would be the apices of the cylindrical portions if the cylindrical portions were not truncated.

5. The wire supply apparatus described in claim 4 characterized by a group of axially spaced, substantially concentric rings of progressively smaller diameter between the end of the conical portion of one of the housings and the intersection of the axes of the conical portions of both housings, a common support for the rings, and a hearing on which the support swings from a position in axial alignment with the conical portion of one of the housings to a position in axial alignment wit-h the conical portion of the other housing for guiding the wire regardless of which housing the wire is coming from.

6. The Wire supply apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by spools in the housings with wire wrapped on the spools in both housings in the same direction, the slot between the housings having its edges in each housing at different radial distances from the axis of the spool in that housing and with the edge that is rearrnost, with respect to the direction of movement of the wire past the end of the slot during unwrapping of the wire, located farther from the axis of the spool than is the other edge of the slot.

7. The wire supply apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by the slot opening through the sides of the housings in substantial alignment with radii of the housings lower edge of the slot in one housing being at a greater radial distance from the longitudinal axis of that housing than is the upper edge of the slot, and the upper edge of the slot in the other housing being at a greater radial distance from the longitudinal axis of said other housing than is the lower edge of the slot in said other housing.

8. The wire supply apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by the slot having a height that is greater than the diameter of the wire with which the housings are intended to be used by a minimum distance compatible with free passage of the wire through the slot, except for an entrance end of the slot at the ends of the housings remote from the conical portions, the entrance end having a flaring entrance several times higher than the height of the rest of the slot and with a curved top and bottom merging with the top and bottom of the slot where the height is of said minimum distance.

9. The wire supply apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by the smaller cross section end of the truncated cylindrical portion of each housing having an outwardly flaring opening for the passage of wire from the housing.

10. The method of supplying a continuous length of wire from successive spools that have flanges at both ends and that are located adjacent to one another with the inner end of the wire that is wrapped on one spool connected to the outer end of the wire that is wrapped on the other spool, which method comprises withdrawing wire from the spools successively in a direction endwise of the spools with the spools stationary, the centrifugal force of the unwrapping wire forming a loop as the wire rotates around the spool while unwinding, guiding the loop of wire by a restraining force applied to the rotating loop at an acute angle to the axis of the spool of wire to throw the loop back in a curved path that causes the wire to clear the flange at the end of the spool toward which the wire moves as it unwraps, and changing the restraining force to a direction substantially normal to the axis of the spool from which the wire is unwinding while the wire unwinds from portions of the spool near the end adjacent to the flange which is remote from the one over which the wire passes as it unwinds.

11. The method described in claim It characterized by applying the confining force of the loop of wire in the plane of the flange of the spool over which the wire travels as it unwinds, and at a distance from the circumference of the flange slightly greater than the diameter of the wire.

12. The method described in claim 11 characterized by applying the confining force of the loop over an additional area surrounding the spool and extending from the plane of the flange over which the Wire travels and back across other portions of the spool from which the wire is being unwound.

13. The method of supplying a continuous length of wire successively from spools on which wire is Wound with the inner end of the wire on the first spool connected with the outer end of the Wire wrapped on the second spool, the spools being enclosed in housings that have truncated conical ends with outlet openings through which wire from either spool is supplied to an apex point common to both housings, the housings communicating with one another by means of a slot extending lengthwise thereof, which method comprises guiding the Wire as it comes from one of the housings by the application of restraining forces at successive locations along a line and with the force at each successive location applied within a cross section that is progressively smaller as the wire approaches the apex, and shifting the restraining forces to locations along a different line in register with the other housing as the supply of wire shifts from one spool to the other, and damping oscillations of the wire by the restraining force at said successive locations.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,873,925 2/ 1959 Huth et al. 242-54.1

3, 13 1,8 84 5/ 1964 Duff 242128 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,136,181 9/ 1962 Germany.

LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. WIRE SUPPLY APPARATUS INCLUDING TWO HOUSINGS, EACH OF WHICH HOLDS A DIFFERENT SPOOL OF WIRE WITH THE INNER END OF THE WIRE OF ONE SPOOL CONNECTED WITH THE OUTER END OF THE WIRE OF THE OTHER SPOOL, EACH OF THE HOUSINGS BEING A TRUNCATED CONE FOR A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE HOUSING AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE LARGER END OF THE CONICAL PORTION TO FORM A CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF THE HOUSING, A SPOOL LOCATED IN EACH HOUSING WITH A PART OF THE WIDTH OF THE SPOOL LOCATED WITHIN THE TRUNCATED CONICAL PORTION WHEREBY THE LOOP OF WIRE UNWRAPPING FROM THE SPOOL CONTACTS WITH THE CONICAL SURFACE OF THE HOUSING AND THE ACUTE ANGLE OF THAT SURFACE THROWS THE LOOP BACK IN A CURVED PATH THAT CAUSES THE WIRE TO CLEAR THE FLANGE AT THE END OF THE SPOOL TOWARD WHICH THE WIRE MOVES AS IT UNWRAPS, AND A GREATER PART OF THE WIDTH OF THE SPOOL LOCATED WITHIN THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF ITS HOUSING, PORTABLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR HOLDING SPOOLS IN SAID POSITION IN EACH HOUSING, AND A SLOT THROUGH WHICH THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSINGS, CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE HOUSINGS. 